News Archive

One thing we were thinking of going as part of the buildup to Sept. 17 is the 99 Percent Project. It's a promotion that we're hoping will pick up some more steam as we get closer to the occupation date that will highlight the various ways that a society which prioritizes the upper 1 percent is having a deleterious impact on, well, everyone else. It's a way to focus the message and really bring the human side to the fore by calling attention to the real human costs of our current economic setup. Here's how we're hoping it will work:

1) People will take a picture of themselves with a sign. The sign will describe a problem that the person is going through, such as:

"I am a student with $25,000 in debt."

"I am a homeowner who just got foreclosed upon."

"I am someone with thousands in medical bills and no insurance."

After below that, a single line:

"I am the 99 percent."

And, below that:

"Occupy Wall Street -- Sept. 17."

They can then submit this photo through the link on the left ("Get Known") and have it appear on the tumblr located at http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/. As you can see, we're still looking for submissions, so if any of you have a camera and a piece of cardboard and want to let people know why it is YOU'RE frustrated with the 99 Percent world we seem to be living in, make a submission and let your voice be heard.

The hurricane approached and preparations were completed, activity of the residents of New York City began to dissipate. Traffic was slow and sparse and there was a lack of pedestrians, even for a rainy day in New York City. Downtown Manhattan had been entirely evacuated by 5 pm, the subway system closed at noon; even the parks closed due to hurricane conditions, forcing the postponement of the New York General Assembly scheduled at 5pm in Tompkins Square.

And yet, even as the residents' activities curtailed and slowed, the activity of the organizers increased in direct proportion to the shut down. Each one of us, sheltered in our individual apartments, focused our efforts and solidified our plans. Hurricane or not, the occupation of Wall Street will not be stopped.

My name is Chris and I am a member of the Food Committee. Last night I went over, in exhaustive detail, where we are as far as getting people fed. I won't recount everything here, frankly because I'm right about to go to bed, but you can read the post here:

I figured I'd make a new post, because I don't want this to get lost at the bottom, but the Food Committee has just set up a WePay account where we are currently accepting donations. Any support would be great.

Anonymous has just released a video communique endorsing #OCCUPYWALLSTREET. Using language from our first Tactical Briefing, the video calls on protestors to adopt the nonviolent Tahrir-acampadas model. On the 17th of September, it says, "flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months … Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices."

See also signs of support for S17 on Anonymous's Twitter and websites.

Meanwhile S17 is surging ahead internationally. Simultaneous occupations of financial districts are now being planned in New York City, Madrid, Milan, London, Paris and San Francisco. With a bit of luck, this list of participating cities will grow.

If we can pull together just the right mix of nonviolence, tenacity and strategic smarts, S17 could be the beginning of the global revolution we've all been dreaming about for so long … wouldn't that be lovely.